This event did not affect the climbers in any way–nobody panicked, nobody fled. Everyone continued to climb and have fun...

Way to color climbers as soulless self-obsessed assholes, uncaring about the senseless deaths of so many people so close by.

I didn't read Ed's comments like you did. I think Ed's point is that nothing in the climber world changed not that climbers didn't care about what happened.

These senseless deaths continue and climbers still climb in Mexico, that's it. Senseless deaths continue in the USA and I still climb here. Although I'm horrified by Newtown and Colorado and Chicago...

Glad to hear things are still going well, Ed. That's awesome that Alex Honnold is down there! Talk about some good PR! I still fully intend to return one year and bag a crapload of tall routes, just need to get a chance to escape from life!!!

This is a really important post - despite some members thinking it is "in bad taste". On the contrary. Instead of ignorning the events, potreroed provides a nod, and appraises us on the climbing situation. Those who may have booked flights or vacation to go, may like to know. Like the other member previously noted, we climb in the US despite bad things happening there. Did all the crags/gyms/movie theatres/happiness w/in a 50 mile vicinity shut down, indefinitely, out of respect? Tragic events happen all over the world, constantly, and you can't shut life down because of it, because it will then always be shut down. Thanks, portrero ed... see you soon.

It may be worth noting as well that the deep seated cause of the violence in Mexico and many other parts of the world is that violent crime pays better than unemployment and underemployment. So if climbing tourism continues, there may be a few fewer people getting desperate enough to resort to violent crime to get by. Maybe thats rationalization & doesn't make things safer in the short term, but I have no doubt the root problem is poverty and/or wealth gap.

Seriously, you don't see the link?? Those musicians murders may have more or less to do with the regional economics, but there's no doubt the violence in the area is related to the economy. Very little in the world is not ultimately driven by economics but in this case its even more obvious. If you have young unemployed males in poverty and no hope of things changing except the opportunity presented by a thug who needs a package taken across the border and kept away from another thug... what do you think is going to happen? Its essentially the same thing in Libya, Afganistan, Egypt. Look at the unemployment rate in males under 30. All you need to make things worse is give them a few guns.

Do you believe that outlawing forks and spoons will eradicate obesity?

That follows the same type of twisted logic you are proposing here. It misses something very important doesn't it?

If I'm making a proposal its that if you give people a half a chance to gainful employment that fulfills the basic necessities of the modern world without violence or crime and they will most often take it. I don't know the average BMI so will stay away from an eating utensil debate & don't see any parallels, maybe you can elaborate (for us idoits).

... if you give people a half a chance to gainful employment that fulfills the basic necessities of the modern world without violence or crime and they will most often take it.

If it were only that simple. What is the fuel that powers these drug cartels anyway?

It's the voracious appetite for the drugs in the USA. That demand is coming from people whose "basic necessities of the modern world" are already fulfilled.

Good luck explaining the existence of that truth with your oversimplified view of human nature.

What powers the drug cartels is prohibition. The US tried prohibition for alcohol, and that didn't work, and created and funded a lot of criminal organisations. They continue to try prohibition for many other drugs, and to export that prohibition to the rest of the world, and it continues to not work, but instead fund violence over the rest of the world, whether it be Mexico, or Columbia, or Afghanistan.

Brews point is well taken. The Mexican government's latest plan is to put more money into schools and other projects to deal with the youth that are involved in the gangs.

The gangs use very young children as halcones, hawks or lookouts, then they go up the organization from there. A lot of these youngsters have nothing. That can be remedied by joining a gang.

If there were no prohibition there would still be abject poverty and the Mexican government has taken action. Now we need to act accordingly and lift this prohibition that is killing so many people. Same as it did in the '30s.